Alameda County Courthouse
Alameda, California
The County of Alameda required an update to the Alameda County Courthouse’s primary entrance to be fully accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The modifications preserved the historic character of the 1936 WPA-era building, while adding a new 90-foot suspended concrete ramp and making related alterations. At the entry threshold the interior floor plane was raised and extended out to the exterior landing in order to mitigate the change in level from the sidewalk to the lobby. A new granite veneer wall, in the same Sierra white granite as the existing wall, replaces the former stair and integrates the ramp into the modern facade.
Project Credit: Alexandra Sheets Saikley was project architect with Lerner & Nathan Architects. The project won a 1994 California Preservation Foundation design award.
Photography: Zachary Nathan